But at least he had a reason to be snippy, surly and even snarly. As he told us, he’d played his tail off in losing to Roger Federer. Serena had played like a chump in losing to Justine Henin.

Everybody knows Andy’s dying inside right now. He’s certain he has no answer for Federer and he never will. He just came along at the wrong time. It’s too bad, but that’s the way it is. We will give him extra points, however, for seeing the big picture, even when he’s acting like a grump.

Asked if he felt sorry for himself, Roddick replied: “If I do, I’m a real (jerk). You know, I get a lot of opportunities. I’m very lucky. If I start feeling sorry for myself, I need a serious sense of perspective.”